Reg Trotter
Reginald Trotter was a character in Only Fools And Horses who appeared in 1 episode, Thicker Than Water shown at Christmas 1983 played by Peter Woodthorpe. He appeared in the prequel Rock And Chips played by Shaun Dingwall. Reg was the lazy and workshy father of Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and son of Grandad Trotter - (Edward Trotter), and husband of Joan Mavis Trotter. He was abusive to Joan when they were married, hence one of the reasons why she had an affair in 1960. Backstory Reginald Trotter was born in 1924 in Bermondsey, London the only child of Edward Trotter and Violet Trotter. In 1936 the family relocated to Peabody Buildings, Peckham Rye in Peckham, a couple of miles from Bermondsey. 1960-1964 In February 1960, Reg had been living at Orchard Street, Peckham, London, SE15 for many years. He was a lazy man, he left Joan to work as an ice cream seller at the local Palladium. Reg was friends with Freddie Robdal. When Joan fell pregnant after a brief affair with Freddie, Reg thought he was the father as he had come home drunk after a football match and him and Joan had sex to celebrate. She was just pregnant already. Reg never knew he was not the father of baby Rodney Trotter when he was born on the 2nd November 1960. Reg was abusive towards Joan and often his son Del had to defend Joan. In 1963 Joan's health started to deteriorate and as Reg suffered from a "sticky mattress" as Del was to later say, Del had to graft to bring money into the flat. In March 1964, Joan Mavis Trotter died. One day when Del was out and Rodney was being looked after by Grandad, Reg packed a few things, including one of Del's coats, and even Rodney's piggy bank and walked out on the family, leaving no contact information. Even Grandad was unable to stop him. Del came home that night to find Reg had gone. 1964-1983, life away from his family Reg left Peckham and probably left London altogether after he walked out on his father and 2 sons. Del resented Reg for this. Reg later got work as a porter. In 1982, he moved to Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North of England. In 1982 Del even joked if they knew where their dad was living, they could send him a letter bomb. Reg worked as a porter at Newcastle Infirmary in 1983. In December 1983, Reg saw a money making opportunity as he wanted to con his family out of money by pretending he has a blood disorder and wanted to pretend that Del Boy was not his son so that he could reclaim his place at the Trotters flat in Nelson Mandela House. One night he stole blankets and pillows from the hospital and then stole the chief gyneacologists motorbike. He then rode off back towards Peckham, after 19 years of being away. 1983- In December 1983, upon arriving back in Peckham, Reg went to Nelson Mandela House and knocked on the door of the Trotters flat. Rodney answered, but did not recognise him as he last saw him as a kid. Grandad came out and saw it was his son Reg. Grandad hugged him. He then said to Rodney this was his dad. Del came home that night and was told Reg was back. Del was very angry at him for what he did, he walked out on the family when Rodney was 5 years old. Reg said he had been in hospital reliving the moment he walked out that night. He said he was ill and had a hereditary illness, a blood disorder. He had been living in Newcastle and he had a document from Newcastle Infirmary to show he was ill. Del reluctantly let Reg stay the night. Reg ended up staying longer. Del and Rodney did blood tests and were given the all clear, yet they had different blood groups, but the doctor said brothers can have different blood groups. It was hinted but never confirmed that Del and Rodney may have different fathers. Del knew his mother was not as saintly as he made out and was seeing other men at the time she fell pregnant with Rodney. Reg came home and said Del was the whodunnit, as he wanted to make Del think he was not really a Trotter so that Reg could reclaim his place as head of the family. Del exposed Reg, saying that him and Rodney do have the same blood group, and someone added the B on the end of Del's hospital test results. Del also said the hospital never heard of a patient called Trotter but a porter called Trotter who stole lots of hospital supplies plus the chief gyneacologists motorbike. Reg knew he had been found out so packed his things and left Peckham again, this time for good. Del gave him a few quid. After Reg left on New Years Day 1984 he returned to Newcastle and was never seen or heard from again. As of 2015 it is not known if he is alive or not but if he is still alive he would be 91 years old. It is likely Reg passed away years ago. Observations Reg never knew that Joan slept with Freddie Robdal at the time Rodney was concieved. As he left when Rodney was 5 years old, it is not known if Reg ever knew for sure he was not Rodney's father. Reg was clearly lying about Del and Rodney's blood groups in 1983, so may have had his own suspicions but this is not entirely known. Personality Well what can I say, Reg Trotter is on the same lines as Roy Slater, totally mean and nasty with no redeeming features whatsoever. While Slater was a bent copper, Reg was a bent father, he was lazy, he hit his wife Joan and let her earn so she could support the family. In 1960, Reg found Joan was pregnant again and thought he was the father but it was Reg's friend, local villain Freddie Robdal, who had his wicked way with Joan when he sent Reg on a job to pick something up in Kent. Reg could not cope with looking after another "son". After Jaon died after a long illness in 1964, Reg just put himself first and left his elderly grandad and his 2 sons to fend for themselves. Even when he returned in 1983, he played ill and pretended Del was not hsi son so he could reclaim his place. Reg was later exposed. It proved that he was rotten to the core and he left Peckham once again, this time for good. Memorable info *'Born': 1924 *'Full Name': Reginald Trotter *'Parents': Edward Trotter and Violet Trotter *'Siblings': None *'Grandfathers': Mr Trotter *'Grandmothers': Mrs Trotter *'Spouse': Joan Mavis Trotter (Nee Unknown) (1945-1964) *'Children': Derek Trotter (1945) *'Adoptive Children': Rodney Trotter *'Grandchildren': Damien Trotter *'Uncles': Albert Trotter, George Trotter, Jack Trotter *'Cousins': Stan Trotter *'Occupation': Porter (1983) Appearances Only Fools And Horses *Thicker Than Water (25th December 1983) Rock And Chips (Only Fools And Horses prequel set in 1960-1962) *Rock And Chips (24 January 2010) *Five Gold Rings (29 December 2010) *The Frog And The Pussycat (28 April 2011) Category:Only Fools And Horses Characters. Category:Trotter family. Category:Only Fools And Horses bad boys. Category:Rock And Chips Characters. Category:1924 births. Category:1945 marriages. Category:Porters. Category:Characters mentioned before they first appeared in later episodes.